


Be My Queen

by MerryMeru



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-03-20 16:50:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13721931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerryMeru/pseuds/MerryMeru
Summary: You infiltrate a ball Lotor was hosting but didn't expect to stumble upon the prince himself so soon. Not even an exchange of a few words later, he declares you to be his betrothed?!





	1. Chapter 1

The front lines wasn't really your thing. It made sense that the paladins needed to fight but you? You were fine with staying behind the scenes. However, an opportunity presented itself where you would come in hand.

Allura squealed as you turned to face her. You were borrowing one of her gowns to infiltrate the ball Prince Lotor is throwing as formality for his newly gained allies. 

"______! You look stunning!" The Altean admired the way her dress fit you perfectly and handed you a matching eye mask.

"Thanks. I just wish I could've wore it on better terms that's not meeting an evil space prince, y'know?" A nervous sigh fell out and you stared at the mask in your hand. 

She sent a sympathetic look and led you out to the rest. "Although it's just gathering intel, we are well aware of the risks. Don't worry ______, two of the paladins will escort you." You shot a tiny smile towards her. "That does feel a little more reassuring." 

A whistle cut your conversation and it was none other than Lance who was also dressed up. "Lookin' good there _______," he winked which you brushed off. "Who's the third person going?" 

"I am. You look great _______," Shiro smiled at you and patted your head in a brotherly manner but careful not to mess up your hair. "Wow, I'm surprised the suit isn't popping open with those muscles of yours." A giggle escaped your lips and he rolled his eyes. 

* * *

Pidge is your ride to the event since their lion has a cloaking ability and you were also provided with wireless earpieces to communicate. Once you all safely infiltrated the ball, you split up to cover more ground. Lance couldn't help but go where ladies were crowded. Rolling your eyes, you expected no less but they do gossip with nothing better to do so there's bound to be some valuable information. Shiro would slip past the guards and hack into anything with Pidge's assistance and you were weaving in and out of the crowd, gathering bits of intel here and there. 

Everything was going fine until your foot got caught in the dress causing you to stumble forward. You already knew what was going to happen. You'd fall onto whatever evil noble this is and cause a scene which would compromise the mission and you'd get thrown into Galran prison or worse, executed. 

But the outcome wasn't what you predicted  _at all._  Before you took the stranger down with you, strong arms wrapped around you, catching you instead. 

"Oh my, do watch your step." A velvety voice comes from the stranger that saved you from your blunder. 

"My apologies! Thank you sir...?" Naturally you weren't acquainted with anyone but in politeness you felt the need to show your gratitude. The man with flowing white hair chuckles and released you from his hold, not like you noticed he was still holding you though. 

"What kind of prince allows a beautiful woman to be injured? Please just call me Lotor. And whom do I owe the pleasure of meeting?" His eyes peer into your masked ones and your body tensed. You stumbled into  _the prince._  In the spur of the moment, you threw out a random name to which he hums and grabs your hand, pressing his lips to the back of it. 

"A wonderful name indeed." Staring at your hand which was still in his grasp, you felt your head spinning at the turn of events. You stumbled into the prince and now he's kissing your hand. W h a t. Quickly snapping out of your initial shock, you sought this out as an opportunity to milk some info out of him. 

"I've heard about your achievements Prin-Lotor! You've used alternative methods from your father's, much smarter and more efficient ones I personally believe. Tell me, what next great accomplishment can we expect?" Look at you, buttering up evil galactic royalty. 

"Your recognition is flattering. I have plentiful ideas to lead this empire to prosperity but I realized I can't do it alone. Would you mind coming along?" He tugged on your hand towards the staircase leading to the center of the room. Confusion swept across your face and you glanced around, trying to find your teammates. You made eye contact with Lance when the girls he was talking with pointed at your direction and he pressed a finger to his ear. 

"______?! What are you doing with the Prince?!" The boy shouted into the earpiece. It was then Shiro's turn to shout.

"What? What happened to _______?!" "Lotor is taking _______!" Concerned protests from the rest of the team came flooding through the mic as well but were interrupted when Lotor began making an announcement. 

"Thank you all for attending this evening. I express gratitude for those in favor of reforming the empire in the name of true Galran peace. However, there was another purpose for this event. My search for a betrothed ends here. This beautiful woman here will assist me in ruling the empire. Do give her a big welcome." He smiles down at the cheering crowd while your and your team's jaws drop. 

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" "I'M WHAT?!"


	2. Chapter 2

In the excitement of the crowd, they requested you dance with the Prince to celebrate the news. He offered you his hand and despite how much you wanted to run back down those stairs and out the door, you figured it would risk the mission. So you took his big hand with your small one. His fingers wrapped around yours gently as he led you down the stairs and brought you to the center of the floor.

You thought back to the dance lessons Allura and Coran drilled into you. Even if this was a mission to gather intel, you had to know how to dance just in case. Back then you didn't think much of the lessons since it didn't occur to you that you'd actually need to dance. Now you wished you paid a little more attention. 

To your surprise, the dance wasn't too shabby. But that definitely doesn't come from your part. You hate to admit it but Lotor was a good lead. Your dress fanned out flatteringly with each turn and your pacing matched well. Thankfully you haven't stumbled once. His hold on you was gentle yet controlled, it was a big help in completing the dance successfully. The song came to an end and applause surrounded the two of you. Strangely you were out of breath, formal dancing never seemed so tiring. 

Suddenly, alarms started blaring throughout the building and Galra soldiers ran up to the Prince, alerting him of intruders. That means Shiro was found sneaking in the back. Your eyes found Lance and he needed to follow the escape route but looked troubled. He couldn't leave you behind. 

"We'll come and get you ______!" 

While Lotor was distracted giving orders to his generals, you whispered into the earpiece," You and Shiro get out of here. I think I can get some information if I follow the Prince." 

Now it was Shiro's turn to speak. "No it's too dangerous. Try to slip away from him." Lance chimed in "You're not gonna get married to this guy right?!" 

Just then, an armed wrapped around your waist and pulled you close. Well there goes any chance of escape. 

"Excuse my impoliteness, but we need to get you out of here Princess." Lotor lifted you in his arms and took an escape route towards his fighter jet. 

Allura's voice came through the earpiece and warned the paladins to get out of there quick. "As for _______, we'll absolutely come back for her. But for the time being, she'll be our spy. I trust her. Please be careful _______." 

Unable to respond, you swore to yourself you wouldn't let them down. Now if only Lotor would let you down. You were already inside the fighter jet but he's kept his hold on you even while flying. Of course you realize standing is a hazard, but was sitting in his lap really necessary? You suddenly feel a lot smaller compared to his bigger build. 

"What's going to happen now?" You spoke, feeling the need to break the silence. Without glancing at you he answered," We're returning to my fleet where preparations for the ceremony will begin soon." 

"...Why me?" The question floating in your head accidentally came out. This piques his interest and he faces you, taking your chin in his thumb. 

"I have a feeling there's something  _special_  about you. You'll prove to be useful indeed." You stiffen at his tone, eyes darting between his dangerous eyes and smirk. There's no way he's found out right? 

"You should rest, there's still time before we reach our destination." He pulls your head to lean on his shoulder and you had no choice but to oblige, silently mulling over the turn of events. You didn't realize the Galran Prince could have manners and decency. If he wasn't in line for the throne of evil lord ruling over galaxies, he could've been a great ally. 

* * *

When you woke, the surroundings were unfamiliar. The giant bed under you and the fancy room gave you a clue that you were sleeping in royal chambers made for high ranks. Removing the cover, you were relieved to still be in the gown Allura lent. A knock on the door startled you and in came multiple maids, each holding elegant dresses of various designs. 

"We'll be fitting you into a dress of your choice, princess." 

This was starting to become overwhelming and you quickly chose a dress, asking to be fitted later. Leaving the room as quickly as possible, you found yourself in a maze of corridors. You made a note to memorize the paths and make a map for future reference. When you encountered soldiers, they bowed and it was a huge contrast to when they used to shoot lasers at you. Muttering a quick hello, you made haste to find the command room. 

Lady Luck seems to be on your side when the next few rooms you stumbled into was what you were looking for, and it was empty as well. Activating the screen, popped up was a map of all of the planets that were conquered and planets that are targeted next. Regretting that you couldn't read alien language, you couldn't collect much besides grids and coordinates. 

"Found what you were looking for?" You didn't think a single question could bring so much dread and yet here you were. You've been caught. Steps came closer and stopped beside you and a hand reached the panel, displaying more complex plans. Surprised that he didn't kill you on the spot, you looked up at him but he kept his eyes forward. 

"You asked why I chose you. You, my dear, are going to bring Voltron to me. All the preparations for the ceremony are just about finished. The ceremony for when we capture Voltron, that is." He smirked at you and your heart sank. This whole time you were leading your friends to their demise. 

"They're tracking you by that earpiece, no?" He tucks your hair behind you ear so gently, exposing the hidden tech and confiscating it. 

"Why are you doing all of this?" Aware that you couldn't escape the situation, you just needed to know why. What drove him to do this?

He measured you with a calculating eye, deciding it wouldn't hurt to amuse you. "My father is on his death bed and I've been summoned from exile. I'm proving how much better I am and exposing the outdated methods that led to his downfall." 

"Is this a matter of pride? You can be your own person, y'know?" You sympathized with him just a little, I mean, who exiles their own kid? 

"My whole life, I've only known to serve. Apparently that wasn't enough. That's why for the past decaphoebes, I've trained to become a successful leader. I'm getting rid of these archaic ways and doing things my way." Lotor turned towards you and tilted your chin up. 

"And you will help me make that first step." Not pulling away, you looked deeper into his eyes. They seemed so...lonely. Without thinking, your hand slid to caress his face. His eyes widened as it caught him by surprise. 

"Your existence is valid, whether or not you follow in your father's footsteps. You have so much power, why use it for evil?" A silence followed your question before he grabbed your wrist and pulled it away from his face slowly. 

"Enough. Return to your room. You've fulfilled your purpose." He turns and leaves the command room, telling the soldier nearby to lead you back. Sighing in defeat, you wondered what would happen to you and your friends now. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

After learning about the prince's true intentions with you, security has tightened like crazy around you. You were no longer allowed to venture alone to almost anywhere in the cruiser. Now a soldier guides you through the halls when the prince summons you and it's a chance to memorize parts of the ship you haven't been in hopes of finding an escape route somehow. Surprisingly, you were brought to the fighter jets, the most ideal escape ride you could catch. But upon walking closer, the prince's tall figure came into view and you tensed, uncertain of what could happen next and any ideas of escaping flew out the window. He turns to you with his cunning smile.

"I'm glad the clothes fit," He noted in satisfaction, as if he made it himself. His comment got you suddenly feeling self-conscious and you glanced to the side, not uttering a word. You had long changed out of the gown Allura lent you. Although the new outfits are more comfortable for practicality, you'd much rather be uncomfortable than to bear the symbol of the Galra. Lotor walks towards the entrance of his jet and stretches his hand invitingly to you. 

"Come along. There is something I want to show you." You pause and stare into his eyes trying to find a good reason why you won't follow him but alas, the soldier that escorted you shoves you forward a little too roughly. "Hey!" You snap back, rubbing your shoulder where his blaster hit you.

"Do be gentle with her now. She's an important asset." The prince glances at the soldier with warning who steps back.

Taking stiff steps into the jet, you ignored his hand. When your eyes landed on the controls, you remembered that there was only one seat. Whipping your head to glare at him, you protested that you wouldn't go anywhere unless there were more seats. No way was there going to be a repeat of last time. Lotor closes the hatch and eases down into the chair.

"I only fly my personal jet darling. Besides, there's plenty of room right here," he shoots a sly smile while patting his lap.  _Great, it's another Lance._ You couldn't help but roll your eyes. 

"But if you'd rather stand," he starts up the jet and launches without so much as a warning. A yelp escapes your lips as it catches you off guard. You would have fell and hit the back wall if you weren't holding onto the head of his chair. "Be my guest."

He smirks when you're able to stand again  ~~though on slightly wobbly legs~~ , slowly making your way to his lap all while glaring at him. 

Huffing in irritation, you tried to avoid as much contact as possible as you sit in between his legs. "So, where are you taking me now?" You questioned as your eyes drifted from the bright stars to his hand holding the throttle. "Negotiations. There are planets dying and I am more than willing to provide the resources they need, given they become allies and join my rising empire." He jerks the throttle and your attempt at no-contact is useless as the momentum pushes your back into his chest and he merely grins.

"I see, so you're on your way to blackmail innocent and weaker beings. Practical." Your words drip with sarcasm and disdain. Anger bubbled inside as you thought about the suffering these beings had to go through. They didn't need him rubbing salt into their wound. 

"Now, now, princess, you say it like it's a bad thing." He grabs your chin to face him but you slap his hand off. "It IS a bad thing! Is your pride worth more than the lives of innocent beings!?" 

His eyes give a sharp look and he grabs your wrist, fingers tightening slightly. Suddenly the air feels stifling. Mouth in a tight line, you hold your breath. 

After what felt like centuries, he finally releases your arm and you let it fall to your lap. The rest of the trip remained in thick silence and you've never felt more anxious in your life. Perhaps you've angered the alien prince and it didn't seem like a good idea after the fact. 

The jet received warnings of approaching vessels and the next second you were surrounded by five lions. Eyes widening in hope for being saved and fear of them being captured, you tried to stand but an arm around your waist stopped you from doing so. 

"Care for a joy ride?" Maneuvering efficiently, Lotor evades the lions and shoots off. The Red lion being the swiftest caught up first. You were silently cheering for Keith to hurry and corner Lotor but held on for dear life when the jet barrel rolled out of a blast the Red lion shot. 

"Quite risky of them to shoot knowing you're on board." He feigns concern and it makes you wonder why  _was_ he shooting? 

"They're just that confident in taking you down. They might even not know I'm on board." You huffed and crossed your arms, but part of that sentence was really to convince yourself. 

"Oh, but they do." His hand opens to reveal your earpiece with the tracking device. "They are fully aware you are here, my dear. It's a shame they don't mind harming an ally to achieve their goal." 

Eye's wide open, shock and confusion spread across your face. "N-no! They're not like that! And I can fully handle myself! I trust them..." You words trail off as you watch the Red lion send off multiple shots and Lotor dodged each and every one of them. The blue lion sent blasts of ice your way along with the yellow lion honing its cannon on the ship.

"If I don't get us out of here, they will destroy the ship. That's a fact, _______" It was weird, hearing your real name come out of his mouth for the first time. Your only response was silence. There was no denying that your friends had every intention of defeating the Galran Prince and they especially didn't hold back on those shots. 

Taking your quietness as submission, Lotor smirked to himself and took you out of harm's way. Even though the earpiece is with you, Lotor tinkered with it so it no longer shows your location. But you didn't need to know that. He finally has you where he wants you. 

Without further ado, he shakes the lions off his tail and takes you to the planet he mentioned briefly earlier. During the rest of the trip, you didn't fight back or speak at all for the matter. You were so out of it, you didn't even realize the jet had landed. 

Lotor walked on ahead through the impoverished city and you trailed not too far behind, taking in the poor sights of these suffering villagers. There were even young ones hiding behind their families but still peeking out, curious about the newcomers. It was difficult to look at them but so was taking your eyes off them. 

Noticing that you were being left behind, you sped up and walked behind the prince. Eavesdropping on the conversation, a meeting will be held later tonight to discuss details regarding the alliance. Such a thing still left a bitter taste in your mouth. 

The meeting was held over dinner and you sat next to Lotor but not really listening to what they were talking about. The food on your plate remained untouched since you had no appetite and when you decided you had enough of sitting there idly, you grabbed what you figured was a fruit and excused yourself. 

The crispy cold air outside served as a refresher to your tired body. Walking along a dirt path, you stared at the fruit in your hands wondering what the hell it was before a rustling in the bushes startled you. Tensing in anticipation, you breathed a sigh of relief when it was just a kid. You recognized him from the village and he stared at you in wonder with big doe eyes. 

Crouching down, you smiled gently and spoke in a soft voice to not scare him off. "Hey little guy, what are you doing out here?" Wrapping your arms around your knees, you waited for him to do something. He continued to stare at you until his stomach rumbled and he whimpered. 

"You poor thing..." Sympathy filled your being and you handed him the fruit you weren't planning on eating anyway. A light appears in his eyes as he takes the fruit and chows gratefully. "Sorry I don't have any more on me." A sigh escaped your lips but when the kid hugs you, you can't help but smile.

Approaching foot steps alert you of someone's presence but they crouch down next to you before you can move. The kid whimpers and tries to hide his face in your chest when he sees Lotor. Rubbing his head you coo to him. 

"Shh, it's okay. He's not going to hurt you." The boy slowly releases his grasp and finds another fruit being handed to him. Lotor puts it in the kid's hand and stands, ruffling his hair. "Run along now, it's cold out." 

Giving Lotor one last look and you one last hug, he ran back the way he came. Slowly standing from your crouch, you gaze at the prince in suspicion. "That was...nice of you..." 

"They cannot survive without our help. This is why the alliance must happen. I brought you here to show you that." A gust of wind sweeps through the path and your arms wrap around yourself immediately. "I think it's great that you're helping! But can't you help them for the sake of just helping? Being decent? There is no need to take their resources and men." 

“Deals are meant to be benefitted from. I won’t achieve my goal otherwise.” 

“Then what did you benefit from giving the boy some food?” 

He strokes your cheek with a finger and you fluster. “I got a compliment from you didn’t I?” He drops his hand and steps around you towards the way you came. 

With a scoff, you rub the cheek with his touch still lingering and thought maybe deep, deep, deep....deep down, he wasn’t so bad. There was no real reason to give the boy some food other than kindness and much less the silly reason he gave you. 

The next morning, you expected to be taken directly back to the main fleet but to your surprise, Lotor wanted to explore the planet a bit more and let you roam free. With no way to contact voltron, he wasn’t worried about you escaping. If you still had that in mind, that is. There’s been a different air around you, like you’re slowly accepting your place next to him although very reluctantly. 

Visiting the village again, the boy from the night before ran up to you, even bringing some friends. They crowded around you and pulled your hands to guide you towards somewhere they want to show you. Laughing in delight, you followed their tiny foot steps through a hidden path covered with bushes and wild plants (hopefully harmless). 

When the path ended, a beautiful magenta lake reflected off your eyes. A gasp escaped your lips and the kids ran towards the water to play. Not planning to take a dip since you didn’t have spare clothes, you settled to sit on the grass watching them have fun. When the kids did tricks and played games to grab your attention, you’d clap and smile, enjoying their innocent livelihood. 

It was all fun and games until your breathing became restricted when a hand roughly grabbed the back of your collar and yanked you backwards. Coughing and sputtering, your hands shot up automatically to your neck to loosen the tightness. 

Came out from the bushes was a bunch of bandits who didn’t seem to have any issues hurting women and children. “We’ve got ourselves a prize boys!” The man choking you roared and the crew laughed. The kids had long stopped playing and looked like they wanted to help you but also run away.

He suddenly released you and you fell to the ground, gasping for air and rubbing your throat to soothe the irritated skin. Turning to the kids, you shouted for them to get out of here. Before a bandit could stop them, you threw your shoe at him, hitting him square in the face. Most of the children had escaped while you stalled them except for fruit boy. He scrambled to run in front of you, holding his tiny arms out to shield you. 

You were outnumbered and missing a shoe. How can it get any better? 


	4. Chapter 4

"Get out the way kid! Yer decaphoebs too young to be puttin' up a fight." The gruff man snorts and swings the back of his arm towards the boy. You gasp and wrap your arms around his tiny frame, yanking him down to narrowly avoid the blow. The bandit grunted in annoyance and you stood with the boy still in your arms, trying to put as much distance as possible between you but the rest of the bandits that quickly caged you in a circle, slowly inching closer with amusement dancing in their eyes. 

Eyes darting between each bandit, you tried to look for an opening while keeping an eye out for sudden movement. Coming up with a plan, you discreetly whispered into the boy’s ear, hoping he'd get the message. You were betting on the fact that they wanted to play around with you first, probably hopping in one by one. So when the first guy decided to lunge forward, the kid slid underneath his legs and took the blade off the bandit's back, tossing it at the grass in front of your feet. While he was distracted by the kid, you grabbed the blade and hoped all that training in the castle would come in handy. 

Not one for bloodshed, you rushed forward and cut the clothes off the man's back and he ran away in humiliation, holding what dignity he had left. Now that you were armed, they had no choice but to start taking you a little more seriously. A little yelp from the boy caught your attention and he was at the mercy of a bandit who held a blade to his neck. 

"No! Let him go!" You felt your heart drop and your body grow cold. As you were distracted, one of them hit you in the shoulder blade with the butt of his weapon making you drop to your knees in pain. There was going to be a nasty bruise for sure. To prevent you from pulling any further tricks, he kicked the weapon out of your hands and grabbed a handful of your hair and yanked upwards, making you cry out. The spectating men laughed and closed in on you, enjoying the look on pain on your face. 

Uncertainty, fear, anger, and regret; you felt a rush of emotions as you remained helpless. A faint thud comes from the direction of the boy and the men stopped in their tracks. They didn't expect an outsider to appear and knock out one of their brethren.

Your hair was no longer captive as they dropped you and turned to attack the mysterious man. After catching your breath, your eyes sought out the boy and found him safe in the arms of the prince. Lotor held the boy with one arm as he fought with his other. The sound of blades scraping against each other echoed in the open field.

 He made them look like easy prey to take down while you struggled against just one. As he silenced the last of them, the kid slid from his arms and sprinted towards you with tears in his eyes. Poor kid was scared for his life.

Managing a smile, you ruffle his hair and hug him close. "You did such a great job buddy. Sorry you had to go through that." He was shaking against you but when he pulled away from the hug, he gave the brightest smile. He turned to Lotor and gave him the biggest hug he could muster (on his calf because he's so short). The sight pulled on your heartstrings a little; so even little kids can adore the big, scary prince huh?

"That was quite a fight you put up." He bends down with something in his hand, your shoe. You reach out to retrieve it but he takes it upon himself to put it on your foot. A pink hue settles on your face and you squeak when his calloused hand grabs your foot oh so gently. After it's nice and snug, he takes your hand and pulls you to your feet. 

"T-Thanks...for saving us...and my shoe..." You pat the dirt off your clothes and peer up at him through your eyelashes, feeling a little awkward that the Prince is your savior. He chuckles and brushes the stray strands of hair away from your face.

"It's never a boring day with you around. That's why I must keep you by my side." He teases and you snort, pushing his hand away as he holds in a laugh. When did you get so familiar with him? The thought sent shivers down your spine. You were adapting to him even if you didn't mean to. 

"Unfortunately, we cannot stay any longer. It's time to return." The news made you a little sad since you didn't want to part with the little fella but it is what it is. "Let's return him to his family, then we can leave." You half asked, half stated. Lotor didn't seem to mind though. Holding the boy's hand, you walk back to the village. He seems to have grown a liking to Lotor as he held his hand too. 

The prince looked a little stunned and confused and you expected him to pull away but was surprised to see him play along. So here you were, the three of you all holding hands. An interesting image, you were sure. At last, the village came into view and Lotor stopped to kneel down to the kid’s eye level.

"Listen kid, grow up to be a strong warrior. So you can fight for me," you huff at him, "and so you can protect what's important to you." He states this as he holds your gaze and your jaw slacks, wondering why he sounded so out of character. Hello? Is this THE prince Lotor?? 

The boy nods and gives you both one last hug before running towards his family, waving you goodbye. His friends circled around him to checked if he was okay before bidding you goodbyes as well. The walk back to the jet was short and before you know it, you were on your way back to the main fleet. Perched on his lap again, you held your protests in this time. After he had saved you, it'd be ungrateful to argue with him. 

"I re-evaluated the ratio of resources and men I require of them to uphold in the deal. If I were to force them to send me their men, they would hold out on the best. This way I can build their trust and let them give me their best men willingly." This really caught you by surprise. Where did this sudden change of heart come from?

"Why are you telling me this?" It was a genuine question out of curiosity and you couldn't really wrap your head around it. "It was partially your idea, no?" He smirks and twirls a lock of your hair between his fingers. The fact that he had taken your thoughts into mind, even if just a little, was almost heartwarming. When it really came down to it, Lotor wasn’t such a bad person after all. It was just all the negativity he was exposed to from the beginning of time that influenced who he was. But maybe there was a way to show him that there’s more than just negativity and galactic domination.

”That...actually means a lot. Thank you, Lotor.” For the first time ever since your abduction, you genuinely smiled at him. His eyes widened a fraction before humming and pressing his lips to the lock of hair. The action made you squirm; you didn't hate it but you weren't used to such attention either. 

"I never thought I'd see you smile. It's very befitting of a princess."

"Would you drop the 'princess' thing? Why do you keep calling me that?" Tilting your head to peer up at him, mild annoyance flashed on your face. 

"I don't see why I should, you are still on your way of becoming one." An unknown emotion swam in his eyes and you stiffened, reminded how you were still captive to the Galra. 

"...please don't hurt my friends." A quiet plea. He was impressed by your loyalty to them despite tricking you earlier into thinking they didn't care about you. "If you can convince them to hand the lions over, no one will be harmed." 

"Why don't you join us?" The question was blurted out, much to both of your surprise. Taking his silence as cue to elaborate, you shifted in his lap to face more of him. "You are just the strong ally we need. We have a common enemy, your father. We can take him down, together." The desperation in your tone was doing something to him although he didn't know exactly what. 

"While I wouldn't mind if my old man was no longer a hindrance, I have a much bigger goal, my dear. I'm afraid it doesn't align with the goals of Voltron's little coalition." His statement made your shoulders slump and you sulk. You really didn't want to make an enemy out of him. 

He swipes a thumb over your lips and it catches you off guard. "Don't pout, you'll still be by my side." 

Time is slow and he's carefully inching closer, a heat in his eyes you can't place a finger on, his thumb ghosting over your jaw. Your brain short circuits and starts wondering what's happening but before you can protest, the jet shakes violently and you let out a surprised yelp, instinctively grabbing onto his shoulders for stability. He immediately wraps an arm around your waist to prevent you from falling. 

Warnings pop up all over the feed and Lotor tries to figure out what’s going on. Turns out a stray meteorite hit the jet. While it wasn’t enough to damage the vessel, it was enough force to push you off course into a magnetic field of a nearby planet and you were being pulled in,  _fast._

There wasn’t enough time to counter the magnetic pull so there was no choice but to brace for impact. Since  his ship is made from the same material as voltron, it should survive the crash. But just in case, Lotor encases you in his arms and tucks your head into his chest, shielding you as best as his body could. Ticks later, the ship makes a not-so gentle landing in this unknown territory.

While the jet sustains little to mediocre damage, the impact was still enough to do some internal damage on you. When you came to, you awoke on the floor. Actually, feeling around a little, the floor is a lot more squishy and warm than you thought it'd be. Gazing beneath you, a dark purple hue takes over your vision and when your eyes finally focus in the dark, you realize it was the prince. Climbing off as fast as you could, you call out to him, a shaky hand poking and prodding at his face.

"L-Lotor? Hey...are you alright? Hey! Wake up!" After a little more soft nudging, he fails to respond and you fear the worst.


	5. Chapter 5

Putting an ear to his chest, the thumping of a heartbeat relieves your worries. Was it just you or was his warmth oddly comforting? Must've hit your head a little too hard during the crash. 

As if on cue, your head starts to ache but it was nothing you couldn't handle. Observing the state of the ship, the power must've went out during the crash. You thought it would be wise to search for a flashlight. After pressing some buttons that didn't look like a self-destruct module, a compartment opens up with some emergency tools inside. Grabbing the flashlight you run back to Lotor and shine it in his eyes to make sure he doesn't have a concussion. Thankfully his pupils dilate fine or so you hope, alien eyes might not work the same as humans but it happened nonetheless. A chill runs through your body and your hands shoot up to rub your arms. Man was it chilly without the power. You didn't realize until now that you could see your breath. 

Helping him sit up in a more comfortable position, you sit at the control panel. Thinking back when you weren't captured, you would observe Pidge do their thing with alien tech, even picking up on a few things here and there. The panel flashed in a dim red light and you did everything you think Pidge would have done. After numerous attempts with different combinations, the last one finally brought back some proper lighting and power back to the ship. The feed is back online and all you see is white with specs flying. The jet rocks again and you yelp in surprise until you hear it, the wind howling. You're on an ice planet in the middle of a  _ blizzard.  _

No wonder it was so cold. Hearing a groan you immediately rush back to Lotor's side. He fell on his side when the jet rocked and you help him back up, wishing he'd wake soon. Unfortunately, he is still unresponsive. The Galrans ought to install better seat belts in their ships.

Unsure of what to do now, you feel anxious just...sitting here. There wasn't anything you could do besides wait for him to wake up or hope for someone to find you. As your nerves kick in, you can't help but finger the ear piece Lotor returned to you. It brought a little peace even despite what happened with the team earlier. Playing with the little thing, your finger brushes against something foreign. There was a little bump you swore that wasn't there before. Flipping the little bugger, you find an on and off switch had been installed recently and the earpiece was set to off. 

Realization settles in as you stare at Lotor in disbelief. The prince lied to you, the team had no clue where you were. He modified your earpiece when he had taken it earlier. Quickly switching the earpiece on, you wear it again hoping to get in contact with your friends. 

The team was constantly worried for your well being and did everything they could to track you down. They had been unable to find you for the past few weeks until now. A marker alerted Pidge of your location and everyone was called to come look. 

"Thank goodness we found her!" Allura cries in relief, being the one to handle this the hardest. She felt regret and guilt for ever sending you on the mission, blaming herself for all that's happened to you.  

"I'll set the castle on course to her coordinates," Coran works on the control panel as soon as possible and Pidge connects the line to you. 

"H-ksssh-o? Hell-ksshhs," The audio is broken up and white noise interrupts you, making it hard to communicate. 

"_______! Can you hear us?! Are you okay?" 

"I'm alive-ksshhhshh-at's good enough. Stu-ksshhh-Prince Loto-kssshh." They could barely make out what you're saying but as long as you're alive, its good enough for them. 

“Um guys,” Coran grabs their attention and they don’t like what news he has to offer. “She’s on an ice planet known to have crazy blizzards and giant ice beasts inhabiting the surface. The temperature drops fast but the beasts might get to her faster.” 

“We gotta go save her! Paladins, to your lions!”

* * *

 

The earpiece wasn’t picking up the audio that great and you had a hard time making out what they were saying but they sound relieved to know you were well and alive. Not a few seconds later, the earpiece dies and you’ve lost contact with the team. Hopefully they were already on their way to rescue you from this icy wasteland but you wonder what would happen to Lotor. How would the team react? Would they try to rid of him on the spot? Imprison him and extract information from him? 

Neither of those options sat right with you. Lotor isn’t a bad guy. He's a logical man but you had the impression he didn't exactly grow up in a caring and loving home. While that doesn't justify his actions, he's only doing what he can to protect himself from his power hungry father.

You were pushing the stray strands of hair out of his face and sighed. The prince is still but a child in a grown body. His eyebrow twitched and you hope he would wake but a roar makes the jet rumble and deafens your ears. You start to panic as you feel the jet row side to side and not from the wind this time. Something was pushing the jet and whatever it is, it’s goal is to get rid of you.

Losing your balance, you had slipped across to the other side of the jet and in an effort to steady yourself, your hand accidentally hit the button that opens the hatch. Massive winds immediately invades the ship and the cold pricks your skin. The prince's body slips in your direction and you catch him before his head can receive any further damage. Backed pressed against the wall with him in your arms, you're reminded of the serious bruising on your shoulder blade from the fight with the bandits. 

"Please just ignore this little metal pod and fight something else..." Praying for the beast to get bored and leave, you cling Lotor closer to you and wonder if there was any chance of surviving. You needed to close the hatch again but the button was now above your person as the ship has been tilted vertically. The next thing you know, you're suspended in air and sliding out of the hatch onto the snowy surface. 

"Ouch!" Your butt has a rough landing and your hair is whipping around in the wind wildly. The cold overwhelms your being and your hands burn from direct contact with the snow. You look around desperately trying to pinpoint Lotor but he's nowhere to be found. The blizzard was making it too difficult to see past a five feet radius. 

"Prince Lotor!" You yell for him trying to listen for any response but the monster's roar blocks out any other sound. Heavy footsteps approach your spot and it would've trampled over you had you not rolled out of the way the last second. Getting a face full of snow, you can feel your limbs starting to ache from the burning cold. You desperately wished your life was a piece of fiction where the main character is conveniently saved from any and all types of danger.

At this point, your body was so cold that you’ve lost the will to move despite hearing the footsteps turn around to approach you once more. Distraught barely described what you were feeling right now. When a giant crystallized foot came into view, you shut your eyes and raised your arms to somehow protect yourself but yelped instead when you felt something collide into your body, throwing you out of harm’s way. 

A familiar scent engulfs your senses and your body warmed up with the small contact this unseen force provided. You can't help but want to cling to it. 

"_______? Stay with me, _______!" The deep voice rumbles against your drowsy form. The temperature was really taking a toll on you and being thrown in all directions was really making your head spin. Before you know it, you're being lifted gently in the arms of the prince who's holding you close to his body as much as possible. He withholds a gasp when your ice cold nose nuzzles into his neck, seeking out any source of heat. He's not gonna kid himself, the icy planet was making him shiver pretty bad but he needed to tough this out until you were safe. Sadly there wasn't much he could do besides dodge the beast every time it came back around. 

How it kept finding the two of you in this thick blizzard, he had no idea. Like you, he couldn't see that much farther than a few feet. What he didn't expect was the monster having more to it than just stomping around. It came as a shock when an icicle shot towards you. The prince didn't have enough time to dodge so he turned his body around to shield you, the icicle penetrating his shoulder. He grits his teeth at the injury but everything is so cold the pain is kind of numbed. Kind of. 

Nonetheless, it just got a lot more difficult to hold you. Thankfully he was supporting most of your body with his uninjured arm but now there was no way to run if the beasts decides to rampage again. It's roar shook was enough to shake the ground and Lotor could hear it's pounding steps approaching. If there was one thing he didn't expect, it was to go out like this. 

A crystallized foot came down from above and Lotor held you closer, disappointed that things turned out this way. Just as you were going to be crushed, a larger force slams into the ice beast, knocking it over with a mechanical foot lodged in its midsection. A horrifying strangled cry comes from the monster and Lotor looks up to see Voltron wrestling the large beast. Feeling a new reason to worry, he was relieved that at least you are being rescued. With that, his eyes fluttered shut when his body gave in to the cold temperature.

* * *

 

Wrapped in a thick blanket with a warm drink in your hands, you sat at the foot of the stairs in the cryopod room waiting for the prince's awakening. All you could remember before falling unconscious in the snow was being carried in his arms and him getting injured as a result of protecting you. You awoke to warm air and the team deeply worrying about you. You've been separated from them way longer than they would have liked and by the enemy no less. Naturally, they had strange faces when you asked about the prince's well being. 

"He kidnaps you, uses you as bait, and crashes you into an ice planet and you're worried about him?" Lance grabs your shoulders and shoves his face closer to inspect any signs of brainwashing or hypnotism having an effect on you. You flinch when the bruising reacts to the sudden movement and Shiro grabs his shoulder, pulling him off of you before taking a look at you himself. 

"From what it looked like when we found you guys, Lotor was trying to protect you _______. It was a temporary decision to take him on board and off that planet but he's still an enemy." Shiro briefs you on the decision they all came to while you were unconscious but you weren't interested in that. 

"Where is he?" 

You gasped when you found out he was being imprisoned in a cell within the lower levels of the castle and you plead them to give him medical attention. 

"Heal the enemy leader? Are you kidding me? Just what has he done to you _______?" Keith protests, clearly not amused. "Keith, calm down." Shiro puts a hand out to stop the guy. 

"What did he do to me? He's saved me plenty of times is what! The last thing I remember was him getting shot in the shoulder trying to shield me. If he was such a bad guy he would have just let it killed me." Your brows furrow as Keith's accusations rile you up. 

"He didn't kill you because you were bait!" He yelled back. 

"Maybe so! But that doesn't change the fact that he protected me until his last conscious breath! I know he's an enemy and I can't accept all that he's done, but can't you judge him by his actions rather than the fact that he's Galran? He has the right to receive medical attention. I owe him at least that much." You huff and stare pointedly at Keith, eyes softening at your next words. 

"You of all people should know that not all Galrans are bad." 

He tenses and turns away, his eyes glazing over. 

Shiro steps closer and puts a comforting hand on your shoulder. "We're going to have to keep him locked up and interrogate him but we're not monsters. He won't be of any use to us dead." You give a wry smile at his...reassurance. As much as you appreciated Shiro, he seemed a little different than before he went missing. That last sentence didn't sound very Shiro-like. 

But even with his support, you needed Allura to give you the okay. She seemed to be fighting an internal battle and bit her lip in frustration. She looked uneasy and you understood why but you really needed this. You're indebted to the prince too much for your own liking. Moving towards Allura, you grab her hands in yours and stare pleadingly into her eyes. 

"Allura I know this puts you in a tight spot but please! You're such an intelligent, caring, and big hearted Altean. I think you know the right thing to do here."

She shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath. Silence fills the room as everyone waits for her answer and you would gladly give her the time she needs. Ticks later, she squeezes your hands and smiles down at you. 

"All right, we can put him in the cryopod. But we have to confine him after he's done healing. I can't trust him just yet, but I do appreciate him keeping you safe." Her response relieves you of your worries and you hug her tightly, sputtering out thank you's over and over. Grabbing Shiro and Lance, you rush them towards the lower levels of the castle. 

"You two are helping me carry him!" 

Lance cries out in disagreement but is unable to escape your vice grip. 

"Why do I have to help carry the L'oreal space prince?!" 


	6. Chapter 6

 Sitting in front of his healing pod, your drink now empty and cast aside, you hug your knees close and rest your chin on them. This entire trip has been an extremely wild and confusing ride for all involved and the tempting choice was to take a long nap and avoid all incoming issues. But of course, you can't do that.

When you had gone to retrieve the injured man in his cell, you were more than shocked to see the state he was in. It was hard not to feel any remorse after all he's done only to be reduced to this. You couldn't accept that team Voltron allowed Lotor to suffer like this, though you can understand their reasoning. The poor guy was unconscious and his body showed irregular signs. You unlocked his cell immediately and had Lance and Shiro haul him to the cryopods where you now wait.

The guys didn't want to leave you alone and suggested you get some rest, that they would alert you when the prince woke up. But you weren't sure you could trust either your friends or Lotor to behave accordingly when he awoke. So no, you wouldn't be leaving. Dismissing them with a gentle gaze, you asked them to bring you a blanket and something to drink instead. Shiro had brought some tea to help calm your nerves and left you to be alone after insisting one last time to watch over for you.

With all the free time you had while the prince was still healing, you tried to imagine what would happen when he finally wakes. It's not like Voltron is going to let him walk out of here scot-free. With his ship in our hands, it'd be unwise to just release it back to the Galrans. Without certainty of Lotor's motives, he's not stepping a foot out of here. That being a large possibility, you didn't want them to torture or lock him up either.  
  
Racking your brain with the recent turn of events and wondering what's the right choice of action made you lose time and before you knew it, his pod opened and the prince fell out. The sound of the hatch unlocking snapped you out of your reverie and you managed to catch him in time before he earned another injury. He was barely cracking his eyes open when you threw the blanket over his form and sat him down on the stairs.   
  
"Wh...Where am I?" He groaned, rubbing a sore spot on the side of his head to ease the headache he most likely has from being thrown around like a sack of potatoes.   
  
"In the castle of the lions. They saved us from the ice planet." You muttered, checking if all of his injuries truly healed over. He looked at you with utmost shock and you could only give a small nod, telling him that he was indeed still alive and in the castle of the lions.   
  
"They won't kill you, if you're worried about that. We may not be pacifists but we're not monsters either." His shoulders relaxed and you smiled at that. "But they're most likely going to lock you up for safety reasons. It was took a bit of convincing to get you fixed up you know.” You fiddled with your hands, knowing you'd have to alert everyone soon.  

"That's reasonable. And I am to assume my ship is held in custody as well?" He guessed correctly. You glanced up at his face and could see he was deep in thought about his current position but there was no hint of him thinking about resisting. In fact, you thought it was a little strange how calm he was. Had it been you, you would've freaked out at least slightly. AT LEAST.

As you shot Lance a text, knowing he would be with everyone to tell them the news anyway, you remembered there was something you wanted to discuss with the man next to you. But when you opened your mouth to give him a piece of your mind about the earpiece, you decided against it. It would be best to keep the fact that you caught his lie as a secret for now. 

"You'll catch a fly my dear," Lotor prompts your mouth closed with his fingers on your chin, chuckling when you turn your head away. Before you can get a quip in, Lance bursts through the doors with his gun out and the team following behind him. 

"Hands up Lotor! Don't even think about pulling any funny moves!" Your blue buddy quickly rushes to your side and separates the two of you to prevent him from using you hostage. Against everyone's expectations, Lotor complied. You watched from behind Lance how Shiro and Keith apprehended him and took him back to his cell on Allura's orders. 

When the prince was out of sight, Lance whirled and grabbed you by the shoulders checking over your form. "Are you okay? Did he do anything while we weren't here?" His frantic worrying really warmed your heart. You didn't think you'd admit it, but you missed Lance's antics and everyone else's presence. 

"I'm fine Lance, after the trouble he went through for me, I doubt he would pull anything." You smiled appreciatively and gave him a hug. "Thank you for worrying though."

His arms tightened around your smaller form and he sighed. "How could I not worry about you?" He muttered something but you couldn't quite catch it. 

"Did you say something?" You pulled away a bit with questioning eyes. Lance let go and shook his head. "Nothing! Nothing at all! C'mon let's go catch up to the others." He speeds towards the door and you're left behind wondering what's up with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a little short. I just wanted to get something out there and say I'm not dead. Updates may occur slow because I'm experiencing a little writer's block and the new season put me at a loss for words. Y'all its wild


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